


Impress Me

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Family, Family Dinners, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen, Meeting the Parents, Multi, Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 18:16:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11514801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: Luke knows he has a lot to make up for where Rey is concerned. He's fairly certain that having dinner with her and her two boyfriends should earn him a hell of a lot of parenting points.





	Impress Me

**Author's Note:**

> Last year I wrote a fic about Luke and Rey tentatively building a relationship, [Entanglements](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5789311). I started a sequel that was envisioned as an awkward family dinner, Luke and Rey and Rey's boyfriends. Roughly a year and a half later, here is that fic, haha. Should stand on its own if you haven't read the original.
> 
> (Fair warning- apparently, Kes Dameron is no longer with us in this 'verse. Trust me when I say this hurts me even more than it hurts you.)

Luke was a man who understood his own strengths. Ships. Flying. Droids. The Force. Lightsabers.

Hosting dinner parties was not one of them.

“This was a bad idea,” he said to Leia, looking at the bottle of good wine she’d offered him.

Leia set the bottle down when Luke seemed disinclined to take it. “Let me guess. You’ve got a bad feeling?”

“As a matter of fact, I do.”

“Luke, it’s just dinner. I think you can handle it.”

“It’s dinner with the daughter I barely know and her two boyfriends. Not one, _two_ boyfriends.” Luke didn’t feel as though Leia was quite comprehending the gravity of the situation.

_Two. Boyfriends._

“Oh, yes, they’re completely terrifying, those well-mannered young men who are going to be falling over themselves trying to impress you.”

It didn’t sound so bad when Leia put it like that. But still. “What am I going to say to them? What are we going to talk about? You’re the politician; you’re the one who knows how to generate conversation.”

Leia’s mouth was twitching. She was getting far too much amusement out of this. “Strangely enough, being a politician has never required me to think of conversation starters for dinner parties with my estranged children and their significant others.”

“You know what I meant.”

“I thought things had been going well with Rey?”

“They are, but--”

“And I thought you liked Finn and Poe.”

“I do, but--”

“Then stop worrying,” Leia commanded, her expression indicating that this was the end of the discussion. “Take the wine. You’ll be fine.”

“Easy for you to say,” Luke muttered under his breath.

_Heard that,_ Luke heard, like a whisper in his head, and he couldn’t help his smile. He had missed his sister.

-

Combat practice had ended with Luke on his back and Rey’s training lightsaber at his throat. This was a familiar sensation. Luke often wondered why he still bothered.

Rey put away her lightsaber and held out her hand, which Luke gratefully accepted. His back was creakier than it used to be. “Again?” she asked.

“No,” Luke said quickly. “No, that’s enough for today. Want to leave you with some time to get in the ‘fresher before dinner, after all.”

“Right,” Rey said, nodding eagerly. “Are you still sure it’s okay if I bring Finn and Poe?”

“Of course,” Luke said, though he actually felt anything but sure. He wasn’t going to be the one to dampen Rey’s enthusiasm, though, so meet the boyfriends it was.

Rey’s smile was big and bright and infectious. “Great! I’m really looking forward to it.”

“Me, too,” Luke lied.

“I just really want you to get to know them better, and for them to know you. I lo-- They’re my best friends,” Rey said, blushing.

“I know,” Luke said, curious if Rey actually still thought he didn’t know, or if she was simply embarrassed. It might have taken him longer to catch on to what was going on between Rey, Finn, and Poe than Leia, but he wasn’t entirely oblivious. Regardless of his sister’s opinion on that matter. “They make you happy, and for that I’m more grateful than you could imagine.”

“Don’t get sappy,” Rey said, but she hugged him quickly anyway. “See you in… an hour?”

“An hour.” Luke watched her leave and closed his eyes. He spared a moment to think of his own father and muttered, “You have no idea how lucky you were to miss out on this.”

He thought he felt something like a gentle ripple of amusement, of laughter, as he left the room.

-

Though Luke generally either had dinner in the mess hall or in his quarters, Leia had suggested he use one of the meeting rooms tonight. More private than the mess and less crowded than his quarters.

It was a good idea, but then, it was Leia, so that fit. Luke was an okay cook but he figured he was under enough pressure as it was so he merely brought in some serving dishes from the kitchens. The staff had been keen to help, though Luke was less sure which of them they were most interested in assisting. He supposed it didn’t much matter, provided the result was an edible meal.

When the knock came it was tentative and Luke still nearly jumped out of his skin. Very impressive Jedi he was, clearly, he thought ruefully.

“You didn’t have to knock,” he said when he opened the door, looking out at Rey, while Finn and Poe stood behind her shoulders. Luke didn’t think he was imagining that they seemed as nervous as he was.

“Poe says knocking is a thing,” Rey said, giving Luke a quick, slightly awkward hug in greeting, more self-conscious than usual.

Poe was shrugging. “Social graces? Not many on Jakku. I’m just trying to help.”

“Poe likes to feel useful,” Finn said, grinning, and Poe knocked his fist into Finn’s shoulder.

“Anyway, thanks for having us,” Poe said, offering Luke his hand.

Luke shook it. “My pleasure. Come on in, sit down, help yourselves.”

Rey and Finn clearly needed no further invitation, enthusiastically attacking the food. Poe was watching them indulgently as they filled their plates and Luke felt a strange sort of kinship with him. He figured his expression when he looked at Rey probably looked pretty similar.

Odd feeling, to be sure.

But… nice. Luke was grateful that he wasn’t the only one around here who cared about Rey. She had been left on her own for too long and there was a good deal to be made up for.

Finn shoved a bowl of noodles towards Poe like this was routine, Poe sitting back until the other two reminded him that it wasn’t only about them.

“Generous,” Poe said, dark eyes teasing, spooning some out onto his plate.

“I think Luke’s gotten just enough for all of us,” Rey said, laughter in her tone even if she wasn’t quite smiling.

“The way you two eat, you never know.”

“Some of us are still growing,” Finn said, like it was a shared joke.

But Poe was flushing and Luke remembered that Poe wasn’t quite in the same age range as the others. It wasn’t something that had ever bothered Luke; after all, look at Han and Leia. It clearly didn’t bother Finn or Rey.

But a long time ago on Tatooine, something similar had been a bit of a sore spot for someone Luke had cared about, and he thought maybe it was still a bit of a sore spot for Poe. Sometimes it was hard to rectify what you wanted with what you thought you should want, and what you thought it was okay to want.

“It’s impressive, really,” Luke said. “I mean, base cooking is not always the best. And these two can still put it away.”

There was something like gratitude in Poe’s face when he met Luke’s gaze, though there was nervousness there, too. “They actually like the caf.”

“No,” Luke said in exaggerated shock.

The thudding sound paired with Poe’s wince seemed to indicate that Rey had just kicked Poe under the table. “You ass! The caf is like… it’s like…”

“Mind-blowing,” Finn said, mouth half-full. He swallowed. “You think we got that in the First Order?”

“The caf is horrendous and when I take you off this planet I’m gonna get you both a decent cup,” Poe promised. “You just don’t know any better.”

Finn and Rey rolled their eyes at each other. “Oh, we don’t know any better,” Rey said. “He’s definitely never said that before.”

“Hey, I was right about the Bothan thing, wasn’t I? And the liquor? And those weird whatever the hell they were, those nasty sweets Rey was going on about?”

“He has a point,” Finn said.

“You’re meant to be on my side,” Rey said, pouting, and Luke wondered if either of the men realized how obviously their faces were saying, _kriff, I want to kiss you,_ as they looked at her.

Honestly Luke wondered that it had taken him as long as it did to figure out what was going on. Maybe Leia was right about his obliviousness after all.

Not that he was prepared to tell her that.

“Leia donated the wine,” Luke said, standing to retrieve the bottle, along with some glasses. “You three interested?”

“Actual wine from a bottle? From the general’s stash? Count me in,” Poe said. He smiled across the table at Finn and Rey. “I promise this will be better than the moonshine Pava and Snap cooked up.”

Finn made a face. “Don’t remind me. Sometimes I can still taste it.”

“Sure got you drunk fast though,” Rey mused. “You’re adorable when you’re drunk.”

“Adorable,” Finn mumbled under his breath with a scowl, accepting a glass of wine from Luke. He sniffed it suspiciously but apparently liked what he found as his sip was rather enthusiastic. He hummed in appreciation.

“I agree with Rey,” Poe added helpfully, which only got him a rude hand gesture from Finn. He took a glass from Luke. “Thank you, sir. Luke? Commander?”

“They told me you were suave,” Luke said.

“Clearly you’ve been lied to,” Poe said, his smile easy.

“Poe’s reputation is bigger than he is,” Rey said. “He’s really just a great big nerd.”

“Huge,” Finn agreed.

“Love you, too,” Poe said, and then he darted his eyes over to Luke, an ‘oh, frag’ expression on his face.

Luke resisted the eye roll. As if he didn’t already know exactly what was going on here.

So he said, “There’s really no need for pretense here.”

Finn was blushing brilliantly. Poe just looked somewhat wry.

“I have two boyfriends!” Rey burst out.

“Stars,” Poe muttered.

Luke wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. “I know, Rey.”

Now she was blushing, too. “Right. Of course. I just… I wasn’t sure what you thought? And I was getting tired of trying to figure it out. Fi-- We weren’t sure you’d like it.”

Finn looked a lot like he wanted to crawl under the table and hope they would all forget about him. His wine glass was almost emptied already. “Mostly me. Um. I thought… Fathers might not like their daughters dating ex-stormtroopers? When they could be dating Resistance heroes?”

Rey looked exasperated and like she was tired of hashing out the same argument.

“For the billionth time, Finn,” Poe started, but Luke interrupted him. They were probably trying to make the same point anyway.

“My daughter,” Luke said, the phrase still sounding strange to his ears, “is dating two brave men who care about her and who treat her with respect. That sounds pretty good to me.”

There were three sets of eyes staring at Luke. He felt like squirming. Apparently it didn’t matter how old you got; once an awkward, earnest kid, always an awkward, earnest kid.

Then Rey sprang up from the table and darted over to kiss Luke’s temple, her arms circling him briefly. She sat back down again almost as quickly as she had stood.

Luke thought he must be the one blushing now. He cleared his throat. “Good. That’s settled. Um.” Searching for a safe topic of conversation, he said, “How’s your father, Poe?”

Poe’s jaw tightened and relaxed. “He passed, a few years ago.”

So much for ‘safe’. “I’m sorry,” Luke said, genuinely meaning it. Luke hadn’t known Kes Dameron as well as Han had, but he knew enough to know that he’d been a fine soldier and a better man. He would be missed, as was Shara Bey. Though he hadn’t met Poe’s mother in person until Endor, she had been one of the finest and most daring pilots Luke had ever had the pleasure of knowing. By all accounts, Poe was very much her son.

“My dad used to tell me stories about you, from the war.”

“Did he?” Luke asked, not really surprised. Kes had always been the first person to proclaim the exploits of his companions, while ignoring his own. “I could tell you some about him, and about your mother, that I’d bet you’ve never heard.”

Poe’s entire face lit up, his eyes wide and excited like a child. “Could you? Would you? Mom didn’t like talking about the war, and Dad never talked about himself.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Luke said, and the gratitude on Poe’s face was heartwarming, but that wasn’t why he was doing it. He wasn’t even doing it for the memory of the good people who had been Kes Dameron and Shara Bey.

He was doing it for Rey, whose expression as she looked at Poe was easily as warm as his as he thought about his parents. She turned to Luke, and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’

The rush of pleasure surging through Luke was worth a hell of a lot, definitely every ounce of anxiety he had had going into this dinner.

Telling stories about Kes and Shara somehow turned into telling stories about himself and Leia and Han, too, with Rey and Finn and Poe listening raptly and laughing and teasing. It made Luke miss Han something fierce but it was nice, too, to see them so happy and easy with each other. He hoped they would hold onto that.

“This was nice,” Rey said, later, as they got up to return to their quarters. Poe had insisted on helping to clean up and for a moment Luke was sure he could see Shara, warm-hearted and firm. “Maybe we could do it again? If you wanted?”

She was hesitant in that way that meant she was nervous, that she wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to say. Her gaze darted to Poe first, as if to ask, _is this how socializing is meant to go?_ and then to Finn.

“I would enjoy that very much,” Luke said, making an awkward move for a hug and then half-aborting it, feeling ridiculous, until Rey laughed and leaned in.

“Good,” she said, squeezing him tight before stepping back.

“Sir,” Finn said, very formally, hand outstretched, and Luke shook it just as formally. Clever boy, warm and funny, but there was so much of the stormtrooper in him, in the way he carried himself so straight, in the practiced discipline that was his natural first response.

“I’m gonna tell you,” Poe said, following suit and shaking Luke’s hand, “if we’re going to make this a thing, you know, I’m kind of a hugger. Just a warning. We’ll build up to it.”

“You’re such a kriffing dork,” Rey said, knocking her shoulder against him, but Poe only laughed and ducked in to sneak a kiss to her cheek when she wasn’t looking at him.

“He’s always like this,” Finn said, mock mournfully. “You got him on good behavior for a while but now that he knows you know, he’s stopped trying.”

“Looks horrible,” Luke said, carefully even. “I wonder how you stand it.”

“I’ve had a lot of training,” Finn said, just as even, but his eyes were bright and cheerful as he linked arms with Rey and Poe before they went through the door.

“See you in the morning,” Rey called back.

“Bright and early,” Luke said loudly, but she only raised a hand at him, laughing, and Luke decided some things were best ignored.

-

“You survived, I see,” Leia said to him at lunch the next day, watching him over the rim of her glass as she took a sip of juice.

“Turns out they really did want to impress me,” Luke said, shrugging.

“This seems a fair place to say I told you so. And maybe next time, you’ll learn to actually take my advice when it’s offered?”

“I don’t think that’s how siblings work,” Luke said, matching Leia’s sly smile and clasping her hand across the table.

**_End_ **

**Author's Note:**

> I can be found on Tumblr [here](http://serceleste.tumblr.com). :)


End file.
